The Falling Sky
by AlwaysextraordinaryMuse
Summary: Six days ago, Coulson and Skye had made a deal to keep the team at arms-length from a secret they didn't quite understand but knew could potentially be dangerous. A sensetive topic. An 0-8-4. A simple misson turned deadly years ago. Keeping a secret has never been easy. Not in the light of unexpected events and unwelcome visits.
1. Intro

The team had to be kept in the dark as Coulson had requested. Skye had agreed to it a few days earlier. However; she didn't feel good about it. Not from the start.

Skye hated keeping secrets from them. She so desperately fought the urge to tell them that it got harder to spend time with them and keep such a big secret. Just the other day she and Ward played Guess Who. She had gotten so close to telling him everything. About the team of SHIELD agents who died protecting and delivering an 0-8-4 to SHIELD headquarters. About how one agent, alone, survived long enough to make the delivery but not quite long enough to witness the reason why it was so special. She thought over every possible way of telling him, "the 0-8-4, it was a baby. SHIELD sent out team after team to get deliver the baby to an orphanage and to make sure it didn't stay in one place for too long." She had hoped that was all she had to say. Had hoped that he would piece the rest together on his own. "I'm the 0-8-4."

No matter how hard she tried, or how much she prepared, nothing could bring her to actually say it. "I'm the 0-8-4."

"Skye?" Ward called from across the table. "It's your turn."

"Right, sorry."

She couldn't do it.

Two days later.

"Skye." was all he said as he peeked in her bunk.

She looked up from her laptop, "Sir." She mimicked his flat tone, waiting for him to string up a sentence. "Did you need something or did you just wanna have a blinking contest?" she questioned when the silence became eerie.

"Can I come in?" He asked, sliding her door a little more open.

"Mi casa es su casa." She gestured his entrance, "Well, actually, su casa es mi c-"

"I need to talk to you." Coulson's voice was stern. Fierce. "It's important that you listen to me very carefully. These next few days are crucial so I need to know that you will follow my lead. No matter where it may go. No matter how far-fetched it may seem. Do you understand?"

Skye didn't like where this was heading but she knew, no matter what, Coulson's side was the side she has always and will always be on. "Understood," she answered without question.

"Good, because I just got word. Director Fury is on his way here as we speak."

"Director Fury? As in, _The_ Director Fury?" Skye placed her laptop on the nightstand and pulled back her sheets.

"The one and only," said Coulson, sounding a little too annoyed.

"Wh-What does he want?" she questioned.

"I don't know but something tells me it's not going to be a slow day."


	2. Falling Apart

Coulson and Skye shortly joined the team in the lab. They hadn't missed much. The team stood around the Holo table as Fitz explained some kind of mechanical complication in their earlier-decided-upon plan. Simmons stood silently, with her hands neatly placed on the table in front of her, registering his explanation and slowly nodding in assurance. Ward's arms were crossed in their usual spot, across his chest, as he leaned against the wall, and May stood straight with her arms idle at her sides. Not really paying attention but listening nonetheless.

Skye walked over to the empty spot around the table and stood silently beside the scientist. Trying hard to contain her emotions, Skye looked up at Coulson who stood down the table between Ward and Fitz.

The team had progress into a back-and-forth discussion; each person expressing a new issue in their particular field of expertise when the man walked in.

Standing motionless, his eye locked on Coulson, "Phil," he said, "There are some things we need to discuss. May we take this to your office?"

After a short moment, Coulson raised his arm, indicating its direction, "After you." He offered as the two men left the team in the lab.

May watched the men leave and slowly rolled her eyes toward her younger team members. "I'll be in the cockpit." She said as she exited out moments after they had.

"So, I've been working on improving the night-night gun." Fitz explained to the remainder of his team.

Coulson opened the door and ushered his Director in. Closing the door behind him, he slowly made his way to the desk; taking the time to mentally analyze the back of Fury's head.

"What can I do for you?" he finally said, taking his seat.

"Agent Sitwell has expressed concern for your well-being."

"My well-being?" Coulson fought the urge to laugh as he all but spat back.

"He believes you might be getting yourself into trouble with something that is of no concern to you." He man's voice rang gently.

"Does he?" Coulson asked in a mocking tone.

"Yes, he does." Fury responded. After a moment of staring Phil down, Fury finally cut to the chase. "You know what the deal was."

Coulson said nothing. He stared expressionless at the man.

"What I want to know is, why, after I warned you about the girl, did you still insist on bringing her in?" The man with the eye patch began, "The girl stays away from anything SHIELD related and is watched at all times. That's the only way she gets to stay alive." Fury silently threatened, "That was the deal. I told you that when you went digging around in classified files."

"And I'm glad I helped her discover the truth." He said flatly.

Fury pulled a disappointed smile together and stood up slowly. "Well then I guess you've made your choice."

"I guess I have." Coulson said in agreement.

"Don't say I didn't warn you, Phil." He turned toward the door and stopping just as he reached it. "This is much bigger than you realize… I'll be out of your hair by morning, then." He called over his shoulder.

"Morning?" Coulson echoed.

"Yes," he replied, turning to the man still at his desk, "I could use a good night's rest and a break from manning ship. I figure, 'why not give my crew a break as well?' I'll let them know they're off duty for the night."

Coulson flashed the man a forced smile.

"Plus, I'm running a little low on fuel. Care to spare some extra?"

"Sure." Coulson said. "I'll get right on that."

Fury took a moment to analyze Phil's face. Stone-faced, the man turned and left the room.

Coulson did not waste a second. He pulled his desk drawer open and ruffled through its contents.

Four minutes earlier

"So, what's this new weapon he's keeps going on about?" Skye ask.

"I don't know but he's really excited about it. It's actually quite adorable." Jemma smiled at her fellow teammate as he quickly tiptoed around the Holo table to a briefcase that lay on the floor.

Skye lit up with smile as she turned and nudged the girl's arm.

"Did I say that out loud?" she whispered.

Still smiling, Skye nodded.

Fitz, far too lost in his creation to be paying any attention to the girls, pulled the latch up and picked up his new weapon. "Look at her," a smile snaked across his face as he admired the weapon extensively. "She's a beauty, isn't she." He said rather than asked.

"Oohhh boy," Skye leaned backwards against the table and half rolled her eyes to his admirer, "not again."

Simmons gently elbowed her friend in the rib and let out a light chuckle.

Fitz handed the oversized handgun to the tall, brooding agent.

Ward handled the weapon with caution.

"The night-night guns," he began, "are a thing of the past. These babies are way more lethal!" his excitement, too carried away, took on a new level as he began muttering to himself, "It's amazing what just the right amount of Germanium Borate can do when mixed with Phosphorus Selenide. The two make for the perfect balance of power in both strength and its ability to stun its victim. Not to mention that once they've been hit we could track their every move."

"Haa-Ha—What?" Skye laughed in disbelief.

Ward turned his attention to the young engineer with a surprised expression.

Fitz looked at them, "Right?" he exclaimed.

Jemma stared at the gun in amazement, "how did you manage that?" she asked, eager for his response.

"Oh boy," Skye repeated, watching Ward's amused smile grow as he handed the gun to Jemma.

"That's my cue," Ward teased as he made his way out the lab, leaving the three of them behind.

"But," Skye started, "how don't they think that's suspicious? I mean, you get hit with something that's not a bullet and we just let you leave? They have to think something'"

"I'm glad you ask, Skye," Fitz strung up a cocky smile. He walked over to the scientist analyzing the weapon. "Give me that," he said while taking the gun out of her hands gently. "You'll hurt yourself," he reasoned.

Skye turned to face him, leaning her elbows on the table.

"I added an extra trigger. One of them, the main one, basically does what the Night-Night gun did before. Only this time she packs a bigger punch. The other trigger," he said, patting his pockets down as his smile quickly faded, "Damn it, I forgot the trackers in my bunk." He brought his right hand up to scratch the top of his head as he left to retrieve them.

Ward inched closer to the closed door and stood still as he overheard the men carry on their conversation.

"Morning?" Coulson echoed.

"Yes," Fury replied, "I could use a good night's rest and a break from manning ship. I figure, 'why not give my crew a break as well?' I'll let them know they're off duty for the night."

Ward heard the knob turn and quickly stepped back a few steps.

"—I'm running a little low on fuel. Care to spare some extra?"

"Sure." Coulson said. "I'll get right on that."

Ward stepped to the side as Directory Fury walked passed him. He took a handful of steps toward the open door, "Sir," he said.

"Ward," Coulson warned, turning his head from his drawer, "now is not the time."

"When is, sir?" Ward said firmly. "With all due respect... " he took a small step back as he shifted his weight and rose his arms accusingly, "you've been keeping secrets from us for weeks not. We all know you're not telling us the complete story about the drug and about your experience with it but, sir, how bad of a secret can you possibly be hiding that would make Director Fury come talk to you personally?"

"What makes you think the Director and I aren't on talking terms?" Coulson almost joked. When the agent did not react, he continued, "Look, for now, leave it alone." He warned, closing his drawer and getting to his feet.

Fitz walked to his bunk door and slid it back. He walked in and headed straight to his desk. Picking up the plastic container, he walked back down the hall to the lab.

"This is gonna be great," he silently cheered to himself in a hushed tone.

"I am giving you an order."

Fitz turned around not knowing who to expect. The hall was empty.

The voice spoke again. Its tone, hardened.

Fitz took two quiet steps toward the guest bunk and peeked in.

Director Fury sat at the end of the bed, his cellphone to his ear, "Authorized." His voice sounded almost robotic.

"I've been leaving it alone for a week!" Ward's voice was bold and fierce, the vein in his forehead becoming visible.

"We might have a bigger problem, Agent Ward. Put your personal emotions aside." Coulson shot back, half slamming his fist on his desk.

The door peeked open, "Umm, I'm sorry to bother you, sir, but I really need t-"

"Not right now, Fitz." Coulson spat.

"Sir, this is really important." He warned.

"It can wait a minute,"

"I'm afraid not, sir." Fitz pressed on, "It's about Directory Fury."

"What about him?" Coulson asked.

Ward turned to look at his teammate.

"I went to my bunk to get something that I had forgotten," Fitz pulled the container out of his pocket and waved it in front of the men, "see?"

"Get to the point, Fitz," Ward hurried.

"Right. Well, on my way back to the lab, I sort of overheard Directory Fury speaking to someone on his cellphone." Fitz watched as the two agents took in the information. "Sir, he was calling for backup."


	3. Fury

"Alright, where are the girls?" Coulson asked.

"Jemma and Skye are in the lab and I think Agent May went to the cockpit." Fitz answered.

"You guys go to the lab, I'll get May. We'll be right there."

"Sir—"

"Ward." Coulson said, "I'm going to explain everything as best I can. This is what you wanted. Now go stay with the girls and I'll be right there."

Coulson made his way to the cockpit. "May," he called, knocking twice.

May rushed to put her equipment away and closed the hidden compartment. She opened the door.

"Meeting in the lab. Put her on autopilot, this is important." Coulson spoke in broken sentences.

May quickly set the plane to fly itself and walked to the lab with Coulson.

"Well, that took long," Skye teased.

"What on earth took you so long, Fitz?" Simmons asked.

"Uhhh—" Fitz froze. He glanced at Ward who subtly shook his head. "I— went to get the trackers," he said.

"Where, in Egypt?"

"Now, I don't appreciate your ridicule, Skye." Fitz began, "Sometimes engineers forget things. We misplace things. We are very intelligent human beings but every person has a flaw and with great intelligence comes some forgetfulness, alright?"

"I was a joke, Fitz." Skye withdrew.

"Well, where are they?" Simmons chimed in.

"Huh?" Fitz looked at her in confusion, "oh, here." He pulled out the plastic container and placed it on the table.

Simmons picked up the container and examines its contents.

Fitz stared Ward down with bulging eyes, pleading for help.

"Sewing needles?" Simmons said, "We're going to shoot sewing needles into the enemy?"

"Then we'd just be looking for the needle," Skye chimed with a smile.

"Don't say it..." Simmons chimed in.

"We'd be... looking for a needle in a haystack." She chuckled.

Ward smiled at her and quickly turned his head to hide it.

"You said it…" Simmons shook her head in shame and looked back at the engineer.

"They're not sewing needles," Fitz defended as he pulled the container out of her hand, "they're like needles but as you can see," he held one up, "they are much smaller than your average sewing needle."

Skye and Simmons watched Fitz tentatively as Ward carefully watched them, assuring that they had, in fact, been distracted by him.

"The needles are the trackers," Fitz went on.

Jemma lifted her hand to interrupt him, "Wait, how on earth did you get them to be so…"

"Brilliant?" Fitz offered.

"Well," Jemma tilted her head, "I was going to say small but sure."

"Simmons," Fitz brought his free palm to hover over his heart, "your lack of faith in me is a wee bit insulting." He placed the plastic container in its spot beneath the second trigger, "The best part is that it's so small you can't feel it."

"Thank God." Skye stated, over dramatically. "I'm not very good with a pitchfork."

Ward couldn't help smile. For some reason, she had that effect on him lately.

Jemma rolled her eyes at Skye as Fitz pretended to ignore her comment. "Ward," Fitz called as he held the gun up at him, "would you like to demonstrate?"

Ward's laughter quickly faded, "Whoa!" he roared, rushing to turn the barrel away from his leg.

"Guys," Coulson's voice overpowered the laughter that carried through the room. His eye's found Skye's and he held them for a moment, hoping to give her some kind of reassurance.

But he couldn't give her that. As much as he wanted to; that was something even he couldn't give her.

He watched as the smile vanished from her face.

"I know you've all had questions," Coulson began. He looked from the scientist who desperately fought to safe her friend to the agent who battled conflict within himself for answers. From the girl who was determined to get answers for a scientific anomaly that would drastically change the human race to the man who struggled with the war waging deep within his memories of loss, "a lot of questions. I don't have all the answers." He watched as Skye shrunk under the weight of their secret.

Ward turned to follow Coulson's gaze. As his eyes fell upon hers, Skye quickly turned to him and, just as quickly, shifted her eyes to the floor.

"Does _anyone_ on your team know what they are risking their lives for?" Fury's voice pierced through the team's silence.

In unison, the team shifted uncomfortably to the recognition of his presence.

Skye forced her eyes back to the floor, not wanting to show him any emotion. Her body shook without permission as she fought hard to steady herself.

His one good eye scanned the room, knowing exactly where it had to go. His glare was vicious. Lethal.

"Or haven't you told them what it is they are a part of?"

Ward folded his arms across his chest and slowly turned to his superior office, waiting for a response. When one was not returned, he pressed on, "I want to know what's going on, Coulson."

A shot rang passed Ward's ear and he flinched, quickly turning to determine its source. The team became paralyzed for an uncertain moment before springing into action. Coulson tore his eyes away from Ward and rested them on the smoking gun held straight out in the man's hand.

In a fit of terror, Coulson spun on his heels. "Skye!" He ran to her side as Ward quickly followed.

Ward kneeled by her head and lifted it up on his thighs, "Skye? Open your eyes! Skye!" He called out with desperation as a crimson-colored liquid soaked her shirt.

Simmons turned her head away as quickly as she could. She buried her face against Fitz's chest. Tears raced down her cheeks and he felt every last one of them as they soaked through his knitted pullover.

Fitz snaked his left arm around Jemma's shoulders, pressing her against him. His right hand quickly wiped the tears that disobeyed him as they filled his eyes and began to trickle down at the corners.

Ward violently pressed his palm to her chest, desperately urging her body back to life. "Skye, look at me. Please!" He called to her. "Hang on. Just hang on," he whispered in her ear.

"There's nothing more you can do for her! It had to be done. You of all people should know that, Phil." Director Fury's voice rang fiercely. He turned and retreated back to where he had entered.

He was right. The bullet hit clear through her heart. Nothing could undo the damages it had caused as it tore through her flesh and buried itself in her heart.

May watched in terror as the event unfolded before her eyes.

Ward gently placed her head on the ground. His breaths became violent and unsteady as he swiftly ushered himself into a tackling position and threw his body into the man's back.

The men fell face-first against the floor. Ward quickly twisted the man beneath him and pinned him down in rage. The man he became when he wielded the staff came bursting out as Fury quickly sprung himself free.

Director Fury swung his elbow and it collided with Ward's jaw, sending him backwards into the desk. Coulson stepped in and May quickly followed suit.

Ward rose to his feet and stepped around his superior officer. He was quickly shoved backwards as Phil Coulson stepped between the enraged men, "Ward, stop." He called.

Melinda pulled him back toward Fitzsimmons at Skye's side.

"This isn't over. I promise you, this isn't the last you see of us." Coulson watched, stone-faced, as the man with the eye patch smiled and left his plane.


	4. The Truth

Ward stumbled back in disbelief. His eyes, slowly filling with tears, scanned Skye's porcelain face.

Coulson took a step toward the stairs and placed his hand on the railing, "Skye," he called over his shoulder as he watched the air-lock click back in place, "he's gone."

Skye let out a gasp as her lungs screamed for air. Slowly, she pushed herself up on one elbow and looked down at her chest.

The team watched in confusion as she peeled back her shirt to reveal the bulletproof vest securely strapped to her torso.

"That's gonna leave a mark," she breathed in pain.

"Paint? Nice touch." Coulson smiled a little.

Jemma raced to her friend and threw her arms around her neck.

"Ow," she contorted beneath the biochemist's embrace.

"Sorry," the British scientist shrunk back.

Grant Ward let out a sigh of relief, gathered himself, and quietly walked over to Coulson by the stairs, "I want some answers," He said bluntly. "Now."

Coulson stepped toward the tall, dark-haired agent and raised his arm to calm him down, "just give me a minute to straighten this out, alright?"

"No," Ward replied calmly, "I think we've waited long enough. You've been keeping something from us and I think we all deserve to know what it is you're hiding. And why the hell Nick Fury attempted to kill someone who works for SHIELD?"

Coulson's voice rose to a level that none of them had ever heard before, except maybe Melinda. "Ward! We might have just started a war. A Shield Director turned on a Shield team," his voice level began to descend, "why don't you walk Skye to her bunk and I'll explain everything later." With that, Coulson turned his back to his team and slowly made his way back to his office.

The muscles in his back seemed more tense than normal, even for Ward. He walked a few beats ahead of her but she had no problem keeping up.

"Ward," Skye said, softly.

"Tell me now," he said firmly, slowing down as they neared her bunk door.

"I—" she hesitated for a moment.

"I can't protect you if I don't know who you need protecting from or what's going on, Skye." Ward protested. His face masked by hidden emotion.

Skye pulled her sleeves down and balled up a fist of loose material in her hands. "Where do I start?"

"How about the beginning," his soft voice suggested, "I was thinking, maybe I'd take you up on that drink." His smile warmed her and she smiled back.

"Shall we take this to the bar, Agent Ward?" she toyed in a failed Scottish accent he couldn't quite make out.

Skye brought the stool back and sat on it while he pulled a bottle of Whiskey out from under the counter. He poured two glasses and slid one over to her. Ward made his way around the counter and sat on the stool beside her.

She grabbed the glass as it slid to her hand, searching his eyes desperately for the courage to finally say it, "what do you wanna know?"

"Well, for starters," he said, leaning his elbows forward on the counter, "what the hell did Coulson make us do to you?" He turned his head to her. His eyes, which previously held rage, filled with desperation.

"We don't know… for sure." Her shoulder muscles tensed for a moment, "What we _do_ know is that the drug… wasn't human—,"

"What?" he said, unsteady.

"Coulson's worried that there can be some kind of… unexpected ramifications."

"Why would there be _unexpected ramifications_?" He let go of his glass and folded his arms under him.

"My story doesn't have a very normal beginning," she began. "All my life I thought no one wanted me. I thought, maybe I'm the default in human society; that I would have to live on my own separated from the world but still doing my part to help it, you know?"

She took a slow sip of her drink and lightly licked her bottom lip free of alcohol, "I had started digging around in SHIELD documents and found out that I might be a SHIELD child. I thought that, maybe my parents were still alive and maybe they sent the team of SHIELD agents to delivery me to the orphanage because they were in danger. Maybe that was why they had me moved so often.

Maybe I wasn't supposed to get attached because they were coming back for me one day." She looked him in the eye for a passionate moment, "It turns out the real reason I've been moved to every possible foster home in the country was because Shield didn't know what to do with me."

Ward was silent. For the first time ever, he had let her talk to him. Really talk. He wondered how a person like her, so cheery and annoyingly happy with the world, could hold such a dark past behind such an ebulliently masked face.

"They deemed me "too dangerous" for the world and tossed me out to live isolated from it."

She had done it. She finally got it off her chest. Well, almost all of it.

"They branded me an 0-8-4 and turned their backs." And just like that, the last piece was out. The last dark, unknown piece of her life's puzzle.

His gaze quickly became a confused look, "what does that mean?" he asked.

"That's the thing, we don't know. Not for sure."

After a moment of silence, he spoke. "Why does Fury want you dead?" he asked.

"I don't know. All Coulson told me was that he was coming and it was safest if I wore the vest. I don't know how he knew it but he did. He was certain Fury would act but he told me it was going to be much messier. I was expecting him to have a team with him and for it to go down... differently," She looked at the glass in her hand and downed the rest, "I was not expecting him to—"

"Hey," he soothed, bringing his hand to her forearm, "you're okay and I'm going to make sure you stay that way."

She smiled at him.

Coulson had gone back to the team and finished the meeting. He informed them of all they needed to know, or at least all he was willing to tell them, while Skye broke the news to Ward.

"—I'm not 100% sure what all of it means but I know that nothing is going to be the same from this moment on." He finished.

Fitz and Simmons sifted through the information that flooded them while May watched Coulson.

Their silence was cut short by a high-pitched alarm. The alarm was wired through a device Fitz had created and connected to the planes radar. The alarm rang through the plane's speakers.

"What now?" Coulson turned to the engineer.

"Nothing good, I can promise you that," he responded, frantically. He ran to the device on the counter and picked it up.

"Fitz," May called, loudly.

"What the bloody hell is th—"

The plane jerked, violently to the left.

Ward grabbed Skye's arm just as the plane jolted, throwing glasses and bottles toward them as the plane twirled out of control.


	5. Carry On

**_Side Note: I wanted to post this before the 1x16 aired but I haven't even started writing the next chapter yet. _**

**_I'll do my best to get it up soon :) _**

**_Enjoy! :)_**

* * *

The smell of humidity and dirt stung his nostrils. Ward slowly peeled his eyes open and squinted at the sun through the trees above him. He lay on the ground, tilting his head from left to right, trying to get a hold of the situation.

Broken pieces of the plane surrounded him, most of them engulfed in flames. His head spun as his mind desperately attempted to regain consciousness.

He turned to his side, pressing his forehead into the ground in pain. Ward slowly pushed himself up, only to fall back down in pain. He clutched his left knee and shut his eyes tightly, willing away the pain.

A muffled sound echoed in his echo and he turned toward it, "Skye?" He called out. The crackle of machinery downed him out.

The figure lay motionless only 20 feet away.

Grant pushed himself to his feet and staggered toward her, slowly picking up the pace. He finally got to her and threw himself to his knees beside her, "Skye!"

She opened her eyes and stared at the sky.

"Skye, can you hear me?" He put his hand under her neck and examined it.

She fought, trying to gain strength to open her mouth and speak, but failed. With a fit of coughs, she shook in his grasp.

He grabbed the medical kit that had landed merely three feet away from her, thankfully, and began opening it. He pulled out a bandage, a cotton cloth, a small pair of scissors, a hooked sewing needle, and thread.

While pressing his fingers into the wound, Ward pulled the shrapnel from her neck. With his free hand, he dragged the cloth and dabbed the sore skin around her wound.

"Ahh—" she pleaded in pain, reaching blindly at his chest.

"I know it hurts but you have hold on… Skye?" He called out as she closed her eyes, "I'm gonna stitch it up." He promised.

Her eyes drifted closed and he quickly began scrounging around for fallen alcohol.

Coulson stumbled from tree to tree. Slowly, he walked further into the forest in search us his team.

He pressed on, making his way toward the plane's engine, which had created a path of fallen trees.

"Fitz!" He called out, limping to the engineer who lay pinned beneath a fallen tree.

"Sir?" the boy called back.

Phil grabbed a piece of steel and plunged it under the tree, forcing it down as the tree rolled to the side.

Fitz threw his arm free and pulled his body to the side.

Coulson dropped the piece of steel and helped him up.

"uhhh— Sir," the engineer called, mildly fearful, as he stared and pointed past his superior officer.

"What?" Coulson asked, spinning around to follow his stare.

A shirtless, blue-skinned figure creeped through the forest. It slowly walked from tree to tree, sniffing each and looking up to smell the air.

Coulson turned to Fitz, pulling his arm and dragging him behind the plane's broken engine.

"What the hell is that, sir?" he asked in his usual panicky tone.

"Don't speak." Coulson ordered.

Fitz leaned forward and placed his hands on his bent knees, "yeah, but sir?" he said, warily, as he watched the creature vigilantly.

"Fitz!" Coulson hissed, shoving forearm into the boy's chest, pushing him out of its line of sight.

The blue creature walked closer toward them, it stopped to smell the tree and continued on.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I think so," he responded.

"Good, we have to find the others." Coulson directed, headed into the forest.

Her pale, fragile arm lay still in the water, a river that stretched for miles through the forest. Jemma flinched and, with a splash, sat straight up.

Holding her temple, she stood up, ankle deep, in water. Simmons turned her head in search of someone on her team, and bolted when she did.

Taking off in a hop, Simmons pulled her shoe off and scooped up water. She tossed the water onto the woman's face and arm, putting out the fire that had just ignited her sleeve and waking her back to consciousness. Jemma knelt beside her, "are you okay?" She asked.

May pushed herself up with her elbow, "I'm fine," she said. Walking away, she held her side.

Jemma followed her every step, being cautious as to where she placed her foot, of course. The biochemist had never felt so scared and dependent.

She was never trained for this.

"Skye," he called out, bringing a couple of mini vodka bottles, the only undamaged bottles of alcohol he could find without leaver her for too long.

He opened the first bottle, the one that had been previously opened, and began pouring it on half of the cloth. He wiped the wound clean of blood and poured the remaining alcohol directly on it.

As much as he wanted her to stay awake, Ward was really wishing she's stay unconscious for this entire painful process.

He figured they had been out for thirty five minutes because one of his watches broke from the fall. He looked at his working watch, smiling as he imagined her making a joke about having two watches.

No one was coming.

He needed to do something about her neck or she wasn't going to make.

Ward threaded the needle and brought it to her neck. He hesitated for a moment, hovering his unsteady hand over her neck, and pulled back. He placed the second bottle of vodka next to her shoulder.

He finally began stitching. Piercing the needle through her skin, he pulled the thread as gently as he could. The first few stitches were the roughest. Skye moaned in pain as the thread stung through her sore skin. Taking a sip from the second bottle, Ward stopped for an unsure moment, watching her eyelids flutter slowly.

But she hadn't woken up.

After taking a few more sips, Ward poured the last of their alcohol on the cotton cloth and gently dabbed over her stitches. He cut the cloth in half and placed the dry piece over her stitches.

"What?" Melinda called over her shoulder.

Jemma walked around a pile of broken branches and rocks , "Nothing, I just," she paused for a moment. She walked faster and caught up to her.

Walking side by side with her, May turned to look at the girl walking in perfect rhythm with her.

"Why did you go to the cockpit?"

"_What_?"

"When Director Fury arrived and went to speak with Coulson, you went to the cockpit instead of getting briefed on the new weapon Fitz created," Jemma looked forward for a moment and turned back to the woman at her side, "and then again later, after Skye was shot." Jemma confronted.

"I had to fly the plane." Melinda replied.

"Right," Jemma looked down at her feet. She lifted her head and turned to her again, "except, wasn't it on auto-pilot?"

"Yes, but when I can, I would much rather fly it myself." She answered, picking up the pace.

"Melinda… Agent May," she corrected. "Please just tell me you didn't report anything about Skye and Coulson to Director Fury." The young scientist pleaded.

"What kind of person do you think I am?" May asked without really wanting to know the answer.

A snap in the woods caught their attention and the girls stood silently looking in its direction.

May, slowly pulling the sleeve of her jacket, led the scientist to a less out-in-the-open space.

The two agents took shelter behind a piece of wreckage.

"What in the world is that?" The young scientist asked quietly.

"_That_," Melinda May peeked around their shelter, "is an alien."

Ward hovered over her. He placed his palm on top of the cloth covering her wound. He could feel the warmth of her skin pulsing through it.

Her once still fingers hooked the collar of his shirt lightly. Her elbow, bleeding, rested on her side, steadying her weak arm. "Ward—?"

He put the bottle down and snaked his arm under her head, lifting it only enough to rest it gently on his lap. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay," he soothed, lightly stroking her temple with his thumb.

Her eyes met his, and in that moment, she never felt safer.

Her eyes drifted closed as her breath hitched.

"Sk—" His voice cracked, rendering him vulnerable. Ward sucked in a breath and gathered himself.

In a swift motion, Ward scooped her up gently, her head lightly rested against his shoulder.

He knew he had to carry on.

Ward carried an unconscious Skye, keeping a remarkably quick pace, in search for their team.


	6. Fallen Angel (no, never again,)

Alright, so there might be a few grammer and editing mistakes for now. I think I'm going to be wiping my laptop completely and resetting it so in order to **not** lose this entire chapter again, I have to post it like this and then just go back and edit it properly.

I didn't really want to follow the same path that the show took, as you can see from the earlier chapters, so there is nothing Hydra related in this story :P... and Ward is nice, and yes his name is still Douglas :)

P.s Sorry about the title... :P and also, I'm still having trouble with the scene cuts. It keeps removing my breaks.

I hope you enjoy this chapter. Looking forward to your reviews! :)

* * *

The large creature stood setting up a device that looked like an oversized telescope with scopes and laser pointers attached to it, pointed upward at an 80 degree angle. Moments later, three more creatures gathered around it. The group encircled the device as it began flashing blue.

"Finally, the day has come for us to have our vengeance." The tall one said.

The girls watched as the creatures carried on their conversation. Jemma peeked around the piece of wreckage that hid them, trying to get a better look at their device.

May slid to the other side of their rectangular shelter, signalling to the scientist to follow. When she did, May placed her hand on the girl's shoulder, "follow my orders and we might just make it out of this."

"That's reassuring," Jemma responded.

"Don't worry," said May as she turned to look back at the blue creatures.

"No, I'm not worrying. Not at all," Jemma said sarcastically. "When you put it that way, how could I?"

May leaned forward, listening in.

"Relax, big guy. You don't even know what they're going to do to her. How can you be so happy about this?" The female creature stepped forward and placed her hand on his shoulder.

He turned to look at her over his shoulder, "Arora, all I know is that once we bring this girl to the boss, her father will finally pay for all he's done." The tall, thin creature with the scar over his ribs answered, walking out from beneath her grasp.

"And that's good enough for you?" She pressed on.

"That's good enough for me." He replied, sternly. He began working on the device, pointing it at a certain spot in the sky, pressing buttons which glowed at his touch, until it beeped and shot a bright blue beam toward the sky.

May stared around the wreckage in disbelief, as the beam launched into the sky. Her right hand pressed against the massive, dark piece of aluminum; her feet, ankle deep in water, as the tall grass brushed her calves.

"Oh my Lord," Jemma gasped, stepping backward. The young agent's heel hit a tree stump, causing her to stumble to the ground. Her right foot slammed into a broken piece of aluminum and the broken piece of plane creaked with a loud thud.

The four creatures turned to them.

May reached down and pulled the girl to her feet, "Run!" She ordered, following behind as she gently urged the scientist forward.

The tall creature's eyes locked on Jemma and he bolted after them.

"Zahkeed!" Arora called after him as she followed.

(Break)

Two minutes earlier.

Her delicate head rested gently against his chest as he marched forward, carrying her limp body. Her eyelids fluttered open slowly as she looked up to him with blurry eyes.

Ward looked down at her; her small figure in his arms, but never slowed down. "Welcome back," he smiled at her.

"What happened?" She asked. Her voice was groggy as she looked up at him.

"I stitched you up. It seems to have stopped the bleeding," he stated, making sure the bandage hadn't moved.

"I mean before that."

Ward look back at the path ahead, "I don't know," his stern voice wavered in a way only she could recognize as pain; "but, are you ever lucky I took you up on that drink." He attempted to joke.

"What?" She asked, confused.

"Who knows where you'd be right now if I wasn't with you. What you'd have gotten yourself into…" Ward paused and looked her in the eye, "I guess you can say I'm your Fallen Angel."

"Ohh... my God, Ward." Skye laughed, lightly shaking in his arms. "Don't ever say that like... ever again," she laughed, resting her cheek against his chest as the exhaustion set in.

Lately, it seemed like the sound of her laughter was the only thing that could manage to bring a smile to his face.

God, did he ever miss it.

He looked back up and continued walking. Ward smiled forward, thankful that she couldn't see it.

(Break)

His blue arms swung violently at his sides as he hunted them down.

Jemma ran as fast as she could but sadly, she had admitted that she was "not the greatest runner."

May could see her slowing down in front of her, "Simmons!" she warned, following closer behind, "you fast to go faster!"

"I can't," Jemma called out as she moved her legs slower and slower until they began to wobble.

"Jemma," she called ask the young agent fell ahead of her. May knelt in front of her fellow Agent, pulling out her pistol and firing at the blue, shirtless man running full steed toward them.

"Zahkeed! Stop!" she ran to him and pulled his arm.

"Back off!" he barked, shoving her to the ground. A bullet flew just above her head as she fell to the ground.

Zahkeed turned and looked at the agent shooting at them as a second bullet grazed his neck and buried itself in the tree behind him. He threw his arm up in anger and tossed the agent's body against a tree trunk.

Jemma looked up in terror as May flew thirty feet away from her and into a tree. The agent lay still in a pile of dirt and leaves.

Arora rose to her feet and watched in terror as her brother injured human civilians to appear superior to his fellow warriors.

Jemma scrambled to her feet as he walked straight to her and grabbed her arm, "not so fast," he said.

May rose to her feet and quickly sent two bullets into the man's head.

He fell to his knees, in front of the scientist, and slumped to the side.

(Break)

A screeching sound pierced his ears and Ward dropped to his knees, bringing his arm around Skye's head to cover her ear.

He looked up at the blue beam coursing up to the sky as a large creature landed firmly on his feet in front of them.

"What th-" Ward watched as the creature analyzed Skye. He gently laid her down on the ground and stood in front of her; between her and the creature.

The creature took two steps toward him, holding his gaze. A challenge.

Ward placed his hand on his holster and quickly pulled his handgun out, pointing it up to aim it at the creature's chest, "What do you want?" He barked.

With a wave of his arm, the creature sent the handgun hurtling into the forest.

"Silly human," he taunted, "you cannot injure me. I am Neytai of Jotunheim and I have come for her."

Ward took a step to the left, making sure he stood in his way, "that's not gonna happen," he spat.

"Do you really think you can stop me? You?" The creature turned his back to them and slowly walked a few steps before turning back to face them, a hunter stalking its prey, "you are merely a human. _She_ stands a better chance and she has been greatly weakened by this feeble, sickling planet of yours."

"What do you want with her?" Ward raised his voice. When the creature didn't respond he pressed on, "why are you after her?" He was yelling now.

"I'm done conversing with you, human," was all he said. Neytai swung his arm, sending the tall, dark-haired agent flying into the forest.

The creature took three steps towards Skye's unconscious body, "you've grown weaker since I last saw you." He knelt beside her, "Which is saying a lot considering the last time I saw you, you were merely an infant."

Both his hands hovered over her torso for a silent moment, slowly lifting her off the ground.

Skye lay motionless, levitating 6 feet off the ground.


End file.
